Skip to Content

What is the procedure for WhatsApp backup?

Backing up your WhatsApp chats is an important way to ensure you don’t lose any of your conversations, media, or other data if you lose your phone or switch to a new device. WhatsApp makes it easy to backup your chats either to Google Drive (for Android users) or iCloud (for iPhone users). Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to backup your WhatsApp data.

Requirements for WhatsApp Backup

Before backing up your WhatsApp chats, you’ll need:

  • A Google account (for Android) or an iCloud account (for iPhone)
  • A stable internet connection
  • Sufficient storage space on your Google Drive or iCloud account
  • Your phone charged to at least 15% (for Android)
  • WhatsApp version 2.20.201 or newer (for end-to-end encrypted backups)

How to Backup WhatsApp on Android

Here are the steps to backup WhatsApp to Google Drive on Android:

  1. Open WhatsApp on your Android phone.
  2. Tap the 3 dot menu icon in the top right.
  3. Select Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
  4. Tap Back Up to Google Drive.
  5. You’ll be prompted to enter your Google account if you’re not already signed in.
  6. Tap Back Up to confirm the backup. It may take a few minutes depending on how large your backup is.
  7. Once complete, you’ll see a confirmation that your chats were backed up.
  8. Make sure to connect your phone to WiFi regularly so new messages can be backed up automatically.

You can also adjust a few backup settings on Android:

  • Backup Frequency – Set how often WhatsApp automatically backs up your chats (options are daily, weekly, monthly).
  • Include Videos – Choose whether or not to include videos in your backup.
  • End-to-end Encryption – Turn on encryption for your backups for enhanced security.

Where WhatsApp Backups are Saved on Android

WhatsApp backups on Android are saved to your Google Drive account. You can find them in Google Drive by going to:

  1. Open the Google Drive app or log into Google Drive on your computer.
  2. Open the Menu > Backups.
  3. Here you’ll see a folder called “WhatsApp” containing your chat history backups.

How to Backup WhatsApp on iPhone

To backup WhatsApp chats on an iPhone:

  1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
  2. Tap Chats > Chat Backup.
  3. Tap Back Up Now to manually trigger an iCloud backup.
  4. You can also enable auto backup by tapping Auto Backup and selecting a frequency (daily, weekly, etc).
  5. Tap Encrypt Backup to enable end-to-end encrypted backups (requires Face ID or Touch ID).
  6. Tap Done when your backup is complete.

Where WhatsApp Backups are Saved on iPhone

WhatsApp backups on iPhone are saved to your iCloud Drive account. To access them:

  1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
  2. Tap Manage Storage > Backups.
  3. You’ll see your WhatsApp backup listed along with the date it was saved.

How to Restore WhatsApp Backup

If you get a new phone or reinstall WhatsApp, you can restore your chat history from a previous backup. Here’s how:

On Android

  1. Install and open WhatsApp on your new device.
  2. Enter your phone number when prompted.
  3. Tap Restore when prompted to restore an existing backup.
  4. Select the backup you want to restore from Google Drive.
  5. Wait for WhatsApp to restore your chats and media from the backup.

On iPhone

  1. Install WhatsApp and log in with your phone number.
  2. A prompt will appear to restore chats and media from iCloud backup.
  3. Tap Restore to complete the process.

WhatsApp Backup Size

WhatsApp backups can vary greatly in size depending on how long you’ve used WhatsApp and how many media files and chats you have. Here are some typical WhatsApp backup sizes:

Backup Size Content
25MB – 250MB Several months to a year’s worth of chats
250MB – 1GB 1 to 2 years of chats with some media
1GB – 5GB 2+ years of chat history with lots of media

WhatsApp has a backup size limit of 2GB for Android users and unlimited size for iPhone backups. If your backup hits this limit, older content will be deleted as new chats are added.

Managing Your WhatsApp Backups

It’s a good idea to occasionally review and manage your WhatsApp backups to ensure your data is safe and being handled as you want.

Delete Old Backups

Especially for Android users, old WhatsApp backups can take up valuable Google Drive storage space. Every few months, check your backup folder and delete any backups you no longer need.

Encrypt Backups

For privacy reasons, enable encrypted backups to make sure only you can access chat history if your backup is ever compromised.

Exclude Large Videos

Videos take up a lot of space, so you may want to exclude them from backups. Just be aware you’ll lose those videos if you ever need to restore.

Test Restoring

It’s a good idea to test actually restoring your WhatsApp backup every so often. This lets you confirm your backup files are valid and the restore process works properly.

Troubleshooting WhatsApp Backups

Here are some common issues with troubleshooting steps for WhatsApp backups:

Backup Not Working

  • Make sure you’re connected to the internet and try again.
  • Restart your phone and try backing up again.
  • Ensure date/time on your phone is correct.
  • Clear cache for WhatsApp and Google Drive/iCloud.
  • Update to latest version of WhatsApp.
  • Contact WhatsApp support if issue persists.

Restore Not Working

  • Double check you’re restoring from the correct backup.
  • Make sure your backup hasn’t expired – backups are saved for 120 days.
  • Ensure you have enough storage space for restore.
  • Try uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp.
  • Contact WhatsApp support if restore still fails.

Backup Too Large

  • Exclude videos from backup in WhatsApp settings.
  • Delete old chats you no longer need.
  • Use a tool like Google Takeout to export chats.
  • Switch to an iPhone for unlimited WhatsApp backup size.

WhatsApp Chat History Security

Security of your chat history backups is crucial. Here are some tips to keep your WhatsApp data safe:

  • Set a password or fingerprint lock on your phone.
  • Enable encrypted backups to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Don’t use public/unsecured WiFi to backup chats.
  • Frequently change your Google/iCloud account password.
  • Review which apps have access to your backup files.
  • Make sure your phone is running the latest OS and app versions.
  • Never share Google Drive or iCloud login details with others.

Conclusion

Regularly backing up your WhatsApp chats is vital to avoid losing your conversations, media, and memories. Follow the steps outlined above for seamless backups to Google Drive or iCloud. Be sure to encrypt, manage, and test your backups. With proper backups in place, you can always switch phones or reinstall WhatsApp without worry. Stay safe!